Fruits

Blueberry area greater than apple area
Taste of success for wine growers
Other berries

Blueberry area greater than apple area

With 108,679 acres, blueberries confirmed their dominance over apple area in 2001. While blueberry area gained more than 20%, apple area declined by a similar amount. A major difference between the two is actual producing area. In 2001, 10.7% of apple area was not in production, compared with 45.3% of all blueberry area. Many apple producers are replanting their orchards with dwarf and semi-dwarf varieties that require less area.

Canada's total area in apples was 63,814 acres in 2001. Canadians are now accustomed to a year-round supply of fresh apple varieties from the world over that are not grown here. Imports from the United States, Argentina, Chile and New Zealand are shrinking domestic growers' share of the market and lowering farmgate prices.

The top five fruits in terms of total area, Canada 2001

Taste of success for wine growers

The area devoted to grapes rose 40.9% between censuses to 26,165 acres. Most of the increased area was in southern Ontario's wine-producing areas of Niagara and Essex County. About 70% of Canada's grapes come from southern Ontario.

The signing of the Free Trade Agreement by Canada and the United States in 1988 instigated a major program to uproot native grape varieties and replant them with more tender, European vinifera varieties such as Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. It takes five years for grapevines to become productive.

This diversification, as well as new technology, competitive prices and a growing export market, have given Ontario and British Columbia wineries world-class reputations. The industry is increasingly sophisticated, and wine tourism, where vineyards have their own wineries to sell their goods, offer tours and even cooking classes, is one factor fuelling recent growth. This is an excellent example of "adding value" to a basic crop.

Other berries

Cranberries posted an impressive increase among fruits, with total area rising 64.6% to 7,453 acres. British Columbia accounted for almost 54.4%, and Quebec 35.2%. Cranberry juice, and the health benefits attributed to it, are increasing the demand for cranberries. In dried form, they have become a popular and healthy snack.

Saskatoon berries, as the name suggests, are a Prairie product showing up as jams and jellies on grocery shelves across the country. These hardy native shrubs are closely related to the apple, hawthorn and mountain ash family and produce clusters of tart berries resembling blueberries. Plantings increased 79.2% between 1996 and 2001 to 2,937 acres. The three Prairie provinces accounted for almost 95% of production.